1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in an all-terrain vehicle made up of a front and of a rear vehicle body of which the frames are connected by an articulated joint to allow for relative oscillation and pivoting of the frames.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An all-terrain vehicle, of the above general type and for use as a snow cat for grooming snow slopes, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,289. It involves a vehicle of the type concerned wherein the front and rear body frames are connected together by an articulation joint allowing rolling motion, that is lateral oscillation about an axis which lies in the plane of one of the two body frames. CA 1,077,399 relates to a dual-unit all-terrain vehicle wherein the two body frames are also interconnected by an articulation joint and, as it appears, lateral oscillation is about an axis lying in the plane of one of the two body frames. In both cases, also, propulsion of the two pairs of endless-track assemblies, one pair for each body frame, is through a conventional rather rigid mechanical drive involving a universal connection extending between the two frame bodies transversely of the articulation joint. Mainly because of these two constructional features, such vehicles lack stability and flexibility particularly in very uneven terrain.
Other patents as follows, less pertinent than those mentioned above, are also known to the present applicant: